25 June 2010

Mary

... had a little lamb, and we'd like one, too, please.



We live a ten-minute walk away from this little farm. We spend many summer mornings here, feeding sheep and cows. Animals and children and mud - a great combination!

Talking of animals, lilla a is hosting a zoo exhibition. Entry deadline is on Monday.

Happy midsummer weekend!

24 June 2010

Summer!


... At last we meet again!

If you don't see much of us in the next month it's because we are having too much fun playing outside.

Some links...

... lemonade!
... my perfect rug (via bliss)
... more Dresden
... I heart this shop
... my favorite color
... can't wait to go here next month
... and possibly here, too
... lavender!
... lunch
... the best dressed stones I've ever seen
... madhatter's tea party (via black eiffel)
... this home

Phew (and congrats Germany)!

21 June 2010

Dresden


1954. My grandmother is 15 and grinding poor when she hops on a train somewhere in bombed-out Dresden to escape to West Germany. She gets caught. It doesn't take long and she tries again. Successfully, this time. I wish I'd know the details of the story (Where did she hide inside that train? Was she afraid?), but I do know now that she must have been very brave.

Oma Walli passed away some seventeen years ago. I've always thought I don't remember her all that well. But in Dresden, staring up in awe at the Zwinger Palace, the way she always said she had done as a teenager, and playing with Fé in that little park right next to where she used to live, I suddenly remembered. Her warm smile, her dark voice, and her thick, almost black hair. I remembered the sweet woodruff syrup she used to make, which we kids loved. And the gooseberry rice pudding, which, to this day, is the only rice pudding I have ever managed to eat without choking. And we always, always, got Black Forest Cake with a cherry on top and hot chocolate when we came over.

I can see her now, as a young girl, standing in the middle of the Zwinger, dreaming the dreams all young girls dream. And I feel like I know her again.

Seeing, remembering. It was glorious. Dresden is magical.


That gorgeous woman you see on these pictures is my cousin Pia, who also happens to be one of my best friends. And whom Fé adores like no other. Who also took this picture above of the Dresden Elbe Valley. (If you are ever in Ratingen-Lintorf, drop by in her boutique, Leroy.)

P.S. We stayed at this hotel. I highly recommend.

19 June 2010

Returned.


We have returned, but my heart is still in Dresden. What a wonderful thing, to walk where your ancestors have walked. I will be back soon.

10 June 2010

Finland: Casa di Mama @ Mummola I



Home is in the details. This home wouldn't be the same without the little knick-knacks that we brought from Germany (we only brought a handful, so the ones that we did bring mean a lot). It's a tough thing, importing your own life into somebody else's.

We are off to a vacation back into our old life. See you next week!

08 June 2010

When mother says no...

... ask grandmother.


Ah... Grandmas are the most wonderful invention, aren't they. They play, they laugh, and they love. Our Oma is the best! Danke Mama.

06 June 2010

a gift


The first time around, motherhood ran over me like a heavy-loaded truck. I stood there, hit and bleeding, on the interjunction of "life that was" and "life that was going to be" for a while in a daze. I had not seen it coming, the way everything utterly and completely changes forever. This time around, mothering my new baby has been smooth sailing. Peaceful.

Sisie is my little gift to me.

Review. The renovation is in full swing. Which means there are three half-naked, beer-bellied men on my roof every day. (Fé and I feed them ice-cream and cookies to be sure they are happy and icentivized to make my house look pretty). It also means I spend too much time reading interior design mags. We found some nice dresses on the flea market for 2 € each. 2 € I thought! What a find! When I got home, I realized they had stains all over. I'm still learning the dos and don'ts of thrifting. We got a package from the US this week, with the loveliest gifts inside. That book, how very fitting. I am Mrs. Bird! (Thank you Christina!) My mom knitted these striped pants three years ago for Fé, but she never fit inside (she was one big baby). Now they fit Sisie. They are the prettiest thing. Danke Mama!

Oh, and Sisie has chickenpox, the poor little one. We left our house a complete mess and ran away to Casa di Mama. I'll be resting here for a while. Blog updates will be sporadic for the next month (haha, Isa, but they always are!). I hope we get to go to Germany on Friday (meanpox, meanpox, I tell ya).

Some links ("thises"?)...

I like this blog (via kleinFORMAT)
I'm feeling this kitchen. And this table. And this DIY lamp (via). Too much?
I'm so making this necklace.
... that first mobile... oh... preferrably in this little girl's room.
cards!
more easy, good spinach...

Happy June!

03 June 2010

Finland: Porvoo II


More pictures from Porvoo. I kind of want to live there.

It's 1:45 am as I'm typing this. Everybody is asleep, and the house is quiet... but I can't fall asleep. (Isn't it unfair, how that goes... you are a mom, your kids are sleeping, but you are lying in bed wide awake because your head is buzzing with thoughts and ideas). Sigh...

Tonight, I am too excited to sleep because I have been thinking about what floor I want for our attic-to-be-bedroom. Strange. And about summer. Summer is here, finally(!), and that means a lot of things. But this year it means we'll be traveling.

Our itinerary:

Turku. Naantali. Ruissalo. The Finnish Archipelago (hopefully by boat). Düsseldorf, ah, home sweet home (next week)! Dresden. I've never been there. I'm excited. Downtown Helsinki (does this count as traveling?!), Helsinki is magical in the summer. A girl trip to Stockholm (...). Tallinn. A romantic 7-year anniversary get-away (with baby)... to Paris, or Madrid, or Vienna.

Hmm... this is shaping up to be a pretty good summer!

What are your plans for summer? What are your favorite cities? And which places in Finland should I go see? Any suggestions? I must admit I haven't seen much of Finland.

... and now it's 2:00 am, and I still can't sleep. I really feel like dusting the TV. Again, strange! I have a feeling you will get a post overload tomorrow (today). Haha, this post is random. My apologies.